Read all about the Dore Deli's jet-setting chef; Drew Rathbone
A Michelin chef from a young age?
With half
of the family already in the hospitality business, I was in kitchens from a really early
age, even school sent me to work in hotels and restaurants on the continent. The
Michelin starred Beau Rivage in Les Sables D'olonnes in France; were I worked
as a patissier, and the renowned Hotel Muller in Germany.
The real education begins with Prue Lieth
However exams etc
brought me back, and the hopes of a job in the diplomatic service saw me off to
university & with four languages under my belt, but the desire for the challenge of cooking meant that I jumped
ship and enrolled at the exclusive Leith's School of Food and Wine, it was here
that I had all my bad habits knocked off and learnt to make mayonnaise faster
than a blender can, :)
Like my classmates who went on to work in top restaurants around the
world as well as becoming private chefs for celebrities and royalty. I started as a private chef, then I moved on to the Dormy house hotel and the famous Lygon Arms, both in Broadway village. Initially as
a commis chef, I
then gained my first head chef position at a restaurant in Sunningdale.
Being a head chef taught
me;
you get a lot more done without all the Gordon Ramsey style shouting,
Experiencing haute cuisine with Albert Roux
This allowed me to stretch my
culinary wings & my reputation allowing the opportunity to work in London with Albert
Roux, where it was lots of hard graft but it
was such a privilege to work for the pioneer of haute cuisine in Britain.
I then
went on to become a private chef at a very large bank in the city of London.
The call of the mother-ship so to speak was strong and so I moved to France and
became Head Chef of the Grand Soleil in the exclusive ski resort of Megeve, I
had to work really hard to shake off the reputation of English food, but with a
combination of modern French classics and world cuisine, it soon became the
place to be, and Rothschilds and Arab Princes aren't easy to please.
Back to Blighty & the deli dream is born
I returned to England & took the manager role at the Fine Feathers Wildlife and Farm
Park. Here was my first taste at running a delicatessen as well as getting to
know the local farming communities, and the importance of supporting farmers to
produce great ingredients like they do in France.
Unexpected opportunities including Amalia Peralta
I was offered & bought a small hotel in the
mountains of Andalucia,
near to the historic city of Granada, Spain.
It was here
combined with trips to nearby Morocco that gave me a love of, Spanish, Moorish,
and Moroccan cuisine. I introduced the proudly patriotic Spanish to authentic
Chinese and French food. It was only after working with the renowned Spanish
chef Amalia Peralta, (who's house was in the same village) they also taught Sam & Sam Clarke of Moro, (that's Samuel & Samantha) how to cook traditional Andalucian
dishes, I felt confident enough to begin serving Spanish food to the
Spanish, and with lots of research into old recipes etc managed to show them
dishes that were new to them.
My business partner and I founded the CadiArte Classical Music and Arts Festival, and I loved cooking for both the crowds and the famous classical musicians who
gave us their time so generously, both for the concerts and the fundraising
dinners.
What brought me back?
The lure of Dore Village & the deli dream; bringing all my culinary experiences home adding them to a traditional deli back in Dore.
I missed the first opportunity to take over the Dore Deli but bided my time at the Bradway Convenience Store running their little deli and learning the lie
of the land locally, then in 2009 after six months of wrangling and
negotiations I started the project of giving the village its traditional deli back.
& finally thank you to the residents of Dore Village
The local people are so supportive, popping in for their regular items, and simply asking if it's something we appear not to have; these can generally can be sorted for the next day & some have realised they can pick my brains for culinary tips or special recipes & even have me cooking for their special event or dinner party.
Cheers Drew